| Snakes
have been a passion and hobby of mine since I was a small child. I
was fortunate to have parents who supported my fascination with reptiles
though I am sure there were times when I was growing up they wished
I had chosen something else to occupy my time. It has now become a
part time business for me, although I just plain enjoy collecting
and teaching young children about snakes so their minds do not get
cluttered with "old wives tales" and things that simply
are not true. Snakes and most other reptiles are amazing creatures
and should be cared for and handled with no less care than one would
care for their dog or cat.
When I became old enough
to drive, I spent my spring and summer vacations snakehunting in
West Texas — Del Rio, Sanderson and Big Bend. I first discovered
the region back in 1980 when I was involved with a Post Exxon Explorers
group. We would all get together once a week and collect computer
paper that the employees would put outside their office. We would
collect it in janitor carts and at the end of the season, we would
take a trip with the money we had received from recycling. The first
places we went to was Big Bend National Park and Ft. Davis State
Park. I have been in love with West Texas ever since.
As an adult, I still
hit the road almost every weekend, starting May 1, searching for
the beloved Gray-Banded Kingsnake. I’ve made countless trips
over the years and I now have 385,000 miles on my ’94 Chevy
Blazer as of August 1, 2007...and it is still purring like a kitten!
Well, maybe not quite that smoothly, but it's still pumping those
miles out. My ultimate goal is to make it to 500,000 miles before
I get a new one. It's been a great vehicle, and to be quite truthful,
I will be sad to see it go and pray that I get another vehicle comparable
to this one.
My wife, Kim, and now
my two sons, Caleb and Weston, keep me company when I head out West.
Kim is the ultimate “Alterna Queen” with two Gray-Band
catches of her own! Check out “Kimberly's
Critters” to see what she’s up to. Her site is due
to be updated very soon so keep on the watch! If you would like
to learn a little more about our background and interests, go to
“About Us.”
To keep up with my activities,
go to “Weekly Updates.” I make
every effort to update this page as soon as possible when I return
from a trip. Sometimes I’m not able to get to it right away
because “real life” takes priority...mowing the grass,
feeding my snakes, and working a full-time job, and certainly I
cannot forget to mention taking care of what really matters...our
children. Rest assured, though, I get it up there eventually so
please check back regularly. The winter time is the slowest as far
as updates.
Through the years, I
have handled many different kinds of snakes and I photograph as
many as possible. If you are interested in seeing them, go to the
“Photo Gallery” and scroll
through the list of colubrids, gray-banded kingsnakes, wild caught
and Belize herps. The snakes shown have been, or currently are,
part of my private collection. These pictures are for your viewing
pleasure and none of the animals featured are available for sale.
I specifically have an "Available
for Sale" page for my herps that can be purchased.
I hope you enjoy visiting
my website. Feel free to drop me a line if you find something of
interest or have a question about snakes.
- Wayne Howell
|
The
Howell Family
(Click on photos
to enlarge)
Kim
and Wayne
on
Sunday Safari
(Photo
by Caleb Howell)
Caleb
and Weston in a bluebonnet field
Christmas
Photo 2006
Kim,
Wayne, Weston and Caleb in Belize
|
